University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, May 15
Lincoln, NE
10:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
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/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps/Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Gopher Men Capture Three Big Ten Titles
5/16/2026 9:32:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
The men's program earned a runner-up finish for the second straight season.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota men's track and field team finished tied for second at the 2026 Big Ten Outdoor Championships for the second straight season in Lincoln, Neb. this weekend. The Maroon and Gold's three event titles included Charles Godfred (long jump), Angelos Mantzouranis (hammer throw) and the 4x100m relay of Zion Campbell, Wanyae Belle, Aaron Charles and Charles Godfred.
Mantzouranis was the first Gopher to claim a Big Ten title, winning his second hammer throw conference title in the last three years on Friday. The Greek international wasted no time with his first-round 75.98m (249-3) to capture his title and also added throws of 74.27m (243-8) in round two and 74.17m (243-4) in round five - both of which would have also won the competition over Iowa's Ryan Johnson (73.94m | 242-7). The hammer throw Big Ten title for the junior extended Minnesota's streak in the men's event to six straight years dating back to 2021 with Mantzouranis claiming two of those titles and 2025 NCAA Champion Kostas Zaltos claimed four of those titles. The six-straight Big Ten championships in the hammer throw made Minnesota the first men's program since 1957 (Michigan) to claim six-straight field event conference titles.
In the men's long jump it was Godfred that continued his dominance at the conference level with his third straight title on Saturday. After qualifying for the 100m final earlier, Godfred needed just three jumps to claim his third consecutive conference championship at 7.99m (26-2 3/4). Godfred became the first Big Ten men's long jumper to win three straight titles since Michael Hartfield of Ohio State did it from 2012-14. In Godfred's three Big Ten long jump championship performances the Nigerian has been able to pass five of his 18 jumps (38.5 percent). Additionally Waukeem Walters finished fifth for the Golden Gophers in the long jump for four team points. Walters' 7.56m (24-9 3/4) came on his first attempt of the competition that saw him hold on to the No. 3 spot until the fourth round of the competition.
Sunday saw Godfred's incredible weekend continue with the 4x100m relay winning the conference title for the second consecutive year with the Nigerian anchoring Minnesota's quartet. The Maroon and Gold clocked a 38.44 to drop 0.10 off the previous meet record time that was set in 2025 by Minnesota in Eugene, Ore. Minnesota's 4x100m relay team has claimed gold at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in three of the last four years with all three of those gold-medal performances also being meet records.
A short time later Godfred was back to work on the track with the 100m final where he finished third overall. Despite the windy conditions (+5.6 m/s) Godfred became the first Gopher man to go below 10 seconds in the 100m with his 9.88 in Lincoln. Between the long jump, 4x100m relay and the 100m, Godfred combined to contribute 26 of Minnesota's 81 team points at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
After registering the fastest 200m prelim time of 20.15, Aaron Charles captured his first individual Big Ten Championships medal. Charles ran the third leg of Minnesota's winning 4x100m relay team and then came back to drop a wind-aided 20.09 (+7.5 m/s) and snag silver for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The runner-up finish for Charles is the best finish by a Gopher in the 200m since Carlon Hosten's silver medal finish in 2023. In total Minnesota had four of the nine 200m finalists on Sunday with the quartet combining to score 14 team points. First-year Gopher Wanyae Belle was sixth (20.39), true freshman John Caleb was seventh (20.40) and Zion Campbell finished eighth (20.67).
From ninth place in 2025 to a runner-up finish in 2026, Emmett Gerres ran to a silver-medal time of 8:49.89 in the 3000m steeplechase on Saturday. Throughout the final Gerres never dipped below fourth-place after the first 400m and ran his fastest lap in the final 400m at 59.32. Gerres' silver medal is the first of the redshirt sophomore's career after a ninth-place finish in Eugene, Ore., a season ago. True freshman Sam Scott also snagged a podium finish for the Maroon and Gold in the steeplechase. Scott's 8:57.15 earned the team' three points and made the Minneapolis Southwest graduate the top freshman finisher in the Big Ten 3000m steeplechase field.
Back in the hammer throw first-year Gopher Anthony Barmes captured bronze with his 70.86m (232-6) in round five. Barmes first, and last, conference championships saw him finish where he was seeded (third) coming into the competition and helped Minnesota to capture 16 team points. Since 2021 Minnesota's men's hammer throw group has scored a total of 96 team points for an average of 16 points per Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
Other scorers on Sunday included Hakeem Ford (sixth) in the triple jump, Ramy Ayoub (seventh) in the 800m and the 4x400m relay of Dwyne Smith Jr., Max McQuide, Jayden Green and Ayoub. Notably, Minnesota's seventh-place 4x400m relay pushed Minnesota from third to a tie for second in the final scored event of the three-day competition.
MINNESOTA'S BIG TEN SCORERS (MEN - T2nd, 81 points):
1st. Charles Godfred, Long Jump, 10 Points, 7.99m (26-2 3/4)
*1st. 4x100m Relay, 10 Points, Zion Campbell, Wanyae Belle, Aaron Charles, Charles Godfred, 38.44
1st. Angelos Mantzouranis, Hammer Throw, 10 Points, 75.98m (249-3)
2nd. Emmett Gerres, 3000m Steeplechase, 8 Points, 8:49.89
2nd. Aaron Charles, 200m, 8 Points, 20.09 (+7.5 m/s)
3rd. Anthony Barmes, Hammer Throw, 6 Points, 70.86m (232-6)
3rd. Charles Godfred, 100m, 6 Points, 9.88 (+5.6 m/s)
5th. Waukeem Walters, Long Jump, 4 Points, 7.56m (24-9 3/4)
6th. Sam Scott, 3000m Steeplechase, 3 Points, 8:57.15
6th. Hakeem Ford, Triple Jump, 3 Points, 15.81m (51-10 1/2)
6th. Wanyae Belle, 200m, 3 Points, 20.39 (+7.5 m/s)
7th. John Caleb, 200m, 2 Points, 20.40 (+7.5 m/s)
7th. Ramy Ayoub, 800m, 2 Points, 1:48.52
7th. 4x400m Relay, 2 Points, Dwyne Smith Jr., Max McQuide, Jayden Green, Ramy Ayoub, 3:07.45
8th. Zion Campbell, 800m, 1 Point, 20.67 (+7.5 m/s)
*Meet Record
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
Mantzouranis was the first Gopher to claim a Big Ten title, winning his second hammer throw conference title in the last three years on Friday. The Greek international wasted no time with his first-round 75.98m (249-3) to capture his title and also added throws of 74.27m (243-8) in round two and 74.17m (243-4) in round five - both of which would have also won the competition over Iowa's Ryan Johnson (73.94m | 242-7). The hammer throw Big Ten title for the junior extended Minnesota's streak in the men's event to six straight years dating back to 2021 with Mantzouranis claiming two of those titles and 2025 NCAA Champion Kostas Zaltos claimed four of those titles. The six-straight Big Ten championships in the hammer throw made Minnesota the first men's program since 1957 (Michigan) to claim six-straight field event conference titles.
In the men's long jump it was Godfred that continued his dominance at the conference level with his third straight title on Saturday. After qualifying for the 100m final earlier, Godfred needed just three jumps to claim his third consecutive conference championship at 7.99m (26-2 3/4). Godfred became the first Big Ten men's long jumper to win three straight titles since Michael Hartfield of Ohio State did it from 2012-14. In Godfred's three Big Ten long jump championship performances the Nigerian has been able to pass five of his 18 jumps (38.5 percent). Additionally Waukeem Walters finished fifth for the Golden Gophers in the long jump for four team points. Walters' 7.56m (24-9 3/4) came on his first attempt of the competition that saw him hold on to the No. 3 spot until the fourth round of the competition.
Sunday saw Godfred's incredible weekend continue with the 4x100m relay winning the conference title for the second consecutive year with the Nigerian anchoring Minnesota's quartet. The Maroon and Gold clocked a 38.44 to drop 0.10 off the previous meet record time that was set in 2025 by Minnesota in Eugene, Ore. Minnesota's 4x100m relay team has claimed gold at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in three of the last four years with all three of those gold-medal performances also being meet records.
A short time later Godfred was back to work on the track with the 100m final where he finished third overall. Despite the windy conditions (+5.6 m/s) Godfred became the first Gopher man to go below 10 seconds in the 100m with his 9.88 in Lincoln. Between the long jump, 4x100m relay and the 100m, Godfred combined to contribute 26 of Minnesota's 81 team points at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
After registering the fastest 200m prelim time of 20.15, Aaron Charles captured his first individual Big Ten Championships medal. Charles ran the third leg of Minnesota's winning 4x100m relay team and then came back to drop a wind-aided 20.09 (+7.5 m/s) and snag silver for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The runner-up finish for Charles is the best finish by a Gopher in the 200m since Carlon Hosten's silver medal finish in 2023. In total Minnesota had four of the nine 200m finalists on Sunday with the quartet combining to score 14 team points. First-year Gopher Wanyae Belle was sixth (20.39), true freshman John Caleb was seventh (20.40) and Zion Campbell finished eighth (20.67).
From ninth place in 2025 to a runner-up finish in 2026, Emmett Gerres ran to a silver-medal time of 8:49.89 in the 3000m steeplechase on Saturday. Throughout the final Gerres never dipped below fourth-place after the first 400m and ran his fastest lap in the final 400m at 59.32. Gerres' silver medal is the first of the redshirt sophomore's career after a ninth-place finish in Eugene, Ore., a season ago. True freshman Sam Scott also snagged a podium finish for the Maroon and Gold in the steeplechase. Scott's 8:57.15 earned the team' three points and made the Minneapolis Southwest graduate the top freshman finisher in the Big Ten 3000m steeplechase field.
Back in the hammer throw first-year Gopher Anthony Barmes captured bronze with his 70.86m (232-6) in round five. Barmes first, and last, conference championships saw him finish where he was seeded (third) coming into the competition and helped Minnesota to capture 16 team points. Since 2021 Minnesota's men's hammer throw group has scored a total of 96 team points for an average of 16 points per Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
Other scorers on Sunday included Hakeem Ford (sixth) in the triple jump, Ramy Ayoub (seventh) in the 800m and the 4x400m relay of Dwyne Smith Jr., Max McQuide, Jayden Green and Ayoub. Notably, Minnesota's seventh-place 4x400m relay pushed Minnesota from third to a tie for second in the final scored event of the three-day competition.
MINNESOTA'S BIG TEN SCORERS (MEN - T2nd, 81 points):
1st. Charles Godfred, Long Jump, 10 Points, 7.99m (26-2 3/4)
*1st. 4x100m Relay, 10 Points, Zion Campbell, Wanyae Belle, Aaron Charles, Charles Godfred, 38.44
1st. Angelos Mantzouranis, Hammer Throw, 10 Points, 75.98m (249-3)
2nd. Emmett Gerres, 3000m Steeplechase, 8 Points, 8:49.89
2nd. Aaron Charles, 200m, 8 Points, 20.09 (+7.5 m/s)
3rd. Anthony Barmes, Hammer Throw, 6 Points, 70.86m (232-6)
3rd. Charles Godfred, 100m, 6 Points, 9.88 (+5.6 m/s)
5th. Waukeem Walters, Long Jump, 4 Points, 7.56m (24-9 3/4)
6th. Sam Scott, 3000m Steeplechase, 3 Points, 8:57.15
6th. Hakeem Ford, Triple Jump, 3 Points, 15.81m (51-10 1/2)
6th. Wanyae Belle, 200m, 3 Points, 20.39 (+7.5 m/s)
7th. John Caleb, 200m, 2 Points, 20.40 (+7.5 m/s)
7th. Ramy Ayoub, 800m, 2 Points, 1:48.52
7th. 4x400m Relay, 2 Points, Dwyne Smith Jr., Max McQuide, Jayden Green, Ramy Ayoub, 3:07.45
8th. Zion Campbell, 800m, 1 Point, 20.67 (+7.5 m/s)
*Meet Record
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
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